Galactic Energy is expanding its portfolio of launch services this year with new solid and liquid-fueled rockets to work alongside its highly successful Ceres-1 rocket. Toward the end of this year, following static fires, the company plans to fly its partially reusable Pallas-1 vehicle. But before that, Ceres-2 is set to debut.
Ceres-2 is said to build on the success of Ceres-11 while utilizing larger solid rocket motors for a vehicle set to carry up to 1,600 kilograms into Earth orbit. Earlier today, August 12th, Galactic Energy shared a detailed blog post via WeChat going over progress on the launch vehicle so far:
“Galactic Energy has recently completed multiple critical ground tests for the Ceres-2 launch vehicle, including electrical system comprehensive matching tests, control system hardware-in-the-loop simulation tests, orbital attitude control propulsion system full-system hot fire tests, first-stage engine joint tests, second-stage engine joint tests, fairing static tests, fairing separation tests, and launch vehicle integration tests.”
A render of Ceres-2 stood prepared for launch with its transporter-erector laid away from the rocket.
“Ceres-2 is an upgraded model developed based on Ceres-1, featuring a three-stage solid propellant configuration plus liquid upper stage2. With a liftoff mass of 100 tons, it has a payload capacity of 1.6 tons to 500km LEO and 1.3 tons to 500km SSO, achieving a launch efficiency of 1.3%3, reaching internationally leading levels. Ceres-2 supports launches from various sea and land platforms, maintaining flexibility and rapid deployment while significantly reducing launch costs through technological innovation and system optimization, with launch prices comparable to 200-ton class medium liquid rockets4.”
Payload mass measured against launch vehicle mass of rocket’s similar to Ceres-2, from left to right: India’s SSLV, Japan’s Epsilon, U.S. Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha, Europe’s Vega-C and Vega.
“The Ceres-2 rocket's orbital attitude control propulsion system hot fire test validated the correctness of the system design, examining component coordination, attitude control engine pulse characteristics, and orbital control engine long-duration and multiple ignition capabilities. The orbital attitude control propulsion system, independently developed by Galactic Energy, features high mass ratio, high specific impulse, rapid pulse response, stable long-duration operation, and multiple ignition capability for orbital control.”
One of Ceres-2’s solid rocket motors undergoing a test firing.
“The first and second-stage engine joint tests obtained complete performance parameters for both stages, verified servo mechanism and engine coordination, and validated stage separation timing and cutting reliability, reducing risks for future flight missions. Additionally, the tests incorporated non-pyrotechnic separation lock release mechanisms for sea launches, with unlock design correctness fully verified, providing strong support for the model's lightweight sea launch technology.”
Ceres-2’s payload fairing during a separation test.
“The fairing static and separation tests respectively examined the load-bearing capacity of Galactic Energy's self-designed 2.9-meter diameter fairing and verified the correctness of fairing separation timing design, obtaining dynamic characteristic parameters during the separation process.
The electrical system comprehensive matching test verified the compatibility and correctness of interfaces between electrical system equipment, test launch procedures, and software communication protocols. The system demonstrated good electronic compatibility throughout testing, with independently developed onboard computers and second-stage integrated controllers meeting performance standards. Concurrent full-system ignition tests examined pyrotechnic interface compatibility and precisely verified the correctness and reliability of pyrotechnic work sequences including engine ignition at each stage, stage separation ignition, thermal battery activation, and safety self-destruct device ignition, providing solid technical assurance for future missions.
The control system hardware-in-the-loop simulation test examined the performance of key components including servo mechanisms, inertial measurement units, and onboard computers, verified coordination of key components within the control system loop, and validated control system design and flight control software correctness. The control system demonstrated good stability under complex environments and various flight conditions, significantly enhancing system reliability.
The launch vehicle integration test simulated real launch site procedures including rocket-erection system placement, rocket transfer, rocket erection and recovery, and self-powered operations. During testing, the transport-erector-launcher met all requirements with stable performance and standardized operational procedures, qualifying for follow-up tests.”
A mockup of Ceres-2 during testing with the rockets transporter-erector.
“The steady progress of Ceres-2's major ground tests has comprehensively verified the correctness and reliability of the launch vehicle's overall and subsystem designs, marking the near completion of Ceres-2's ground development and verification work. The model's maiden flight has entered countdown phase and will carry 6 commercial satellites and 2 non-separating payloads, with total payload exceeding 1 ton.”
A computer generated image of the layout of Ceres-2’s first payloads on an adapter.
If there are any problems with this translation please reach out and correct me.
It’s unknown when Galactic Energy plans to perform Ceres-2’s debut flight, rumoured to be in late August or September, but it may be from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Later launches of the rocket could occur from sea launch platforms5, like its predecessor.
As mentioned above by the company, a total of eight payloads are set to be onboard for the maiden flight, with two set to remain attached. The identities of many of the payloads are unknown, but one is an ultra-flat test satellite from the Harbin Institute of Technology (哈尔滨工业大学) and Beijing Space Chain Technology Co Ltd (北京太空链科技有限公司) known as Lilac-3 (紫丁香三号). The satellite is set to verify thermal, mechanical, attitude control, and drag characteristics of extremely thin spacecraft. Lilac-3 will also carry a low-frequency electromagnetic wave detection instrument to study ionospheric plasma fluctuations.
The Lilac-3 ultra-flat satellite undergoing pre-launch testing.
Ceres-2 bears a striking resemblance to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology’s Jielong-3 and CAS Space Kinetica-1 launch vehicles, both solid-fueled with a similar silhouette due to a common solid motor design (although those rockets have four solid stages compared to Ceres-2’s three). It is likely, although not confirmed to my knowledge, that Galactic Energy has sourced its solid rocket motors from the same supplier to develop a rocket capable of competing with the two, as Ceres-1’s limited competition comes from ExPace’s Kuaizhou-1A.
Galactic Energy’s success so far has seen the company’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Liu Baiqi (刘百奇), awarded the title ‘Outstanding Builders of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’ in July. Upon receiving the title, Liu vowed to promote the development of China’s space industry and to contribute to the national goal of making the country a space power.
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Since November 2020, Ceres-1 has flown twenty times to deliver 81 spacecraft into orbit. With only one failure and nineteen successes, Ceres-1 is by far China’s most successful privately owned launch vehicle.
